Don't Hate Me Because I'm Beautiful

"We're being persecuted for our faith in Jesus!"

"They hate us because they hated Jesus first!"

Let's look at these claims.

What are the 3 attributes that define us as the real Believers in Jesus according to the Bible?

1. Love everyone around you as yourself.

2. Don't judge anyone.

3. Live at peace with everyone around you (Paul).

Now what would the unbelieving World have a problem with those 3?

You're right. Nothing.

So what is the reason or reasons you will be hated according to Jesus? Let's go back and see why Jesus was hated and then the Christians after Him.

Jesus called out the hypocrisy of the Scribes and the Pharisees that made them hate Him. So Jesus was hated for pointing out hypocrisy.

He was hated for being blasphemous for saying who He was (the Son of God), but we, His FOLLOWERS, will never make this claim. So nix this reason Christians are hated.

Jesus was hated because He put Love over Law by the Scribes and Pharisees for others. So Jesus was hated for loving people over religious rules. 

Now we look at why the early Christians were persecuted. 

They made a man named Jesus their God over the pagan Gods of the Roman Empire. What caused the greatest persecution of Christians in history. So believing in Jesus over other Gods made Christians hated by the government and their pagan neighbor. So are you hated for believing in Jesus over other Gods? No. So also nix this reason you're hated.

Now you know why you are hated. 

It's not because of the 3 attributes that make up a real Christian, or because you believe in Jesus over other Gods, it's because you are legalistic hypocrites, the very people who hated Jesus.

If Jesus were to walk the Earth in the present day? It would be the new Scribes and Pharisees called "Christians" that would hate Him for calling out their legalism and hypocrisy. And like when Jesus walked then? It would be the sinners walking the street who would be drawn by His love for them.